Combination peanut and popcorn vending machine.



L. C. GRESHAM.

COMBINATION PEANUT AND POPCORN VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1915.

1 1 8 1,5 90 Patented May 2, 1916.

Q5 2 SIIEETS--SHEET I- L. C. GRESHAM.

COMBINATION PEANUT AND POPCORN VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1915.

1 18 11 59%, Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W a M F ,g. 1 a W wvwntoz LUCIOUS C. GRESHAM, OF MARION, LOUISIANA.

COMBINATION PEANUT AND POPCOBN VENDING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed June 23, 1915. Serial No. 35,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUoIoUs C. GRESHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the parish of Union and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful a an object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this nature involving Ironeans for vending peanuts and popcorn in g further'object of the invention is the provision of an endless carrier for the bags of peanuts,'popcorn and the like, in combination with a coin controlled push plunger for imparting an intermittent movement to the carrier, so as to bring a ha of peanuts or the like to an opening in the orward portion ofthe casing of the machine, and at the same time of imparting movement to'the carrier, means is provided having connections with the plunger for raising a closure {okpermit access to the bag of peanuts or the Inpractical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing some parts in elevation, and other parts not crossed by the section line being shown in section for clearness. Fig.

4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing parts in section and parts in elevation of the means for imparting an intermittent movement to the carrier, said means including a plunger and a pivoted dog. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the coin chute, showing the coin controlled dog for the plunger.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a casing having a cover or closure 2 hinged at 3, and designed to be locked by a clasp 4, staple 5 and padlock 6.

Arranged in the casing 1 is a partition 7, which divldes the casing into a large compartment 8 and a smaller compartment 9, in WlllCl'l any suitable burner'tube 10 may be arranged, for supplying heat against the partition 7 for keeping the compartment 8 heated. Journaled in bearings of the easing are shafts 11 and 12 having sprockets 13 and 14, over which chains 15 and 16 travel. These chains constitute a suitable carrier, and are provided with receptacles 17 for the reception of bags of peanuts, popcorn or the llke, as indicated at 18. Projecting laterally from the sprocket chain 16 is a plurality of plns or lugs 19. The forward wall 20 of the casing 1 is formed with a concavity 21 and an adjoining opening 22, which is closed by a sliding closure 23, which is under tension of the spring 24, the lower end of which is connected to a lug 25 of one of the side guides 26 of the closure whereas the other end is connected to a pin 27 on the closure 23, thereby holding the same down so that the flange 28 of said closure will contact with the lug 29, to limit the closure in its downward movement. A shaft 30 is journaled in bearings of the casing, and on which shaft is a drum 31 having a smaller drum 32 rotatable therewith. Partly wound around the drum 31 is a cord or cable 33 passing over a pulley 34 mounted upon a shaft 35, which connects to one side of the casing l at one end, Whereas the other end of the shaft 35 is connected in any suitable manner at 36 to one side of the coin chute 37. The lower end of the cord or cable 33 is connected at 38 to the upper portion of the closure 23, so that when the drum 31 is rotated in the direction of the arrow a, the closure 23 will be raised.

Projecting inwardly of the casing 1 and from the front Wall thereof is a tubular guide 39 having a slot 40 in one side thereof, which tubular guide 39 is rectangular in cross section. Mounted in the tubular guide is a push plunger bar 41 having a push button 42, and a laterally extending arm 43, which extends through the slot 40 and downwardly, as shown, and in the path of the closure 23, so as to prevent opening the closure, until after the arm 43 has been moved from the path of the closure, by depressing the plunger bar. The upper end of the coin chute is curved toward and registers with the coin opening 14, so that a coin will roll easily through the chute, and after leaving the lower end of the chute as shown at 45, the coin will drop into a-suitable reccptacle 46.

Adjacent the discharge end of the chute 37, a pair of ears i7 is formed, between which a dog 48 is pivoted at 19. The nose 50 of the dog extends through an opening 51 of the tubular guide 39, and engages a notch 52 of the push plunger ell thereby preventing the push plunger from being operated. However, the tail 53 of the dog protrudes partially into the coin chute and is of a weight plus the weight of the coin (which engages the tail when inserted in the chute) to overbalance the nose end of the dog, so as to withdraw the nose from the notch 52 of the push plunger 41, and instantly after releasing the push plunger, it should be reoiprocated through the tubular guide 39 toward the interior of the casing. Just so soon as the dog has been tilted sufficiently for releasing the push plunger, the coin deposits into the receptacle 4:6. \Vhen the push plunger is operated, the arm 13 is removed from the path of the closure. 23. Connected at 55 to the rear lateral end of the push plunger is a cable or cord 56, which makes one turn about the small drum 32 and has its other end connected to the spring 57, which in turn is connected at 58 to the inner face of the front wall of the casing. When the plunger is operated, it moves against the action or tension of the spring 57, and the cable or cord 56 imparts movement in the direction of the arrow at to the drums 31 and 32, thereby causing the cable or cord 33 to raise the closure 23, immediately after the arm .43 has moved from the path of the closure. Pivoted upon a stud 59 (which projects from the inner face of one of the side walls of the casing 1) is an oscillatory lever or dog 60, the upper end of which has a slot and pin connection 61 with the rear end of the push plunger, which is bent or distorted out of alinement with the major portion of the push plunger. Pivoted at 62 to the lower end of the lever is a dog 63, the nose 64 of which engages any one of the lateral pins or lugs 19 of the chain 16, when the push plunger is depressed, thereby oscillating the lever 60, so that the dog 63 in turn will impart a forward movement to the upper portion of the carrier chains 15 and 16, which move simultaneously. The tail portion 65 of the dog 63 contacts with the abutment lug 66 of the lever 60. the spring 67 acting to hold the tail portion 65 in engagement with the abutment lug 66, so that the dog 63, when the lever 60 is oscillated in the direction of the arrow 0, will act as a rigid part of the lever 60, so that the carrier chains will be moved. The spring 67 has one end connected at 68 to the tail portion 65 of the dog 63, while the other end of the spring is connected to a lug 69 of said lever-'60. However, when the push plunger is restored to its initial position, by virtue of the tension of the spring 57 and the action of the cable or cord 56, it will be observed that the dog 63 will tilt against the action of the spring 68, so that the curved portion 70 of the nose of the dog 63 willwipe past or over the lateral pins or lugs 19 of the chain 16, whereby the lever 60 may assume its initial position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 in full lines. A coin when dropped into the chute 37 operates the dog 48, releasing the first plunger, which, when depressed, coordinately unlocks the closure, raises the closure through the cable or cord connections, and imparts movement to the carrier by virtue of the lever 60, so that a bag of peanuts or the like is accessible through the opening 22.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a machine for vending peanuts and the like, a casing having an opening in its front wall, a closure therefor, a peanut carrier in the casing, a plunger having connections with the closure for opening the same, and a lever and dog connection between the plunger and the carrier for imparting an intermittent movement to the carrier as the plunger is depressed, and an element on the plunger in the path of the closure and adapted to be withdrawn from the path of the closure when the plunger is depressed.

2. In a machine for vending peanuts and the like, a casing having an opening in its front wall, a closure therefor, a peanut carrier in the casing, a'plunger having connections with the closure for opening the same, said connections including a drum having a cord connection with the closure, said drum having an auxiliary drumhaving a spring tensioned connections with the plunger, and a lever and dog connection between the plunger and the carrier for imparting an intermittent movement to the carrier as the plunger is depressed.

3. In a machine for vending peanuts and the like, a casing having an opening in its front wall, a closure therefor, a peanut carrier in the casing, a plunger having connections with the closure for opening the same, said connections including a drum having a cord connection with the closure, said drum having an auxiliary drum having spring tensioned connections with the plunger, an oscillatory lever pivoted in the casing having a slot and pin connection with the rear end of the plunger, the lower end of the lever having a spring tensioned dog, said carrier having lateral pins or projections, said dog of the lever including means to hold the same rigid when the lever is moved in one direction so that the dog may push against any one of the lateral pins to move the carrier, said dog being so pivoted to the lever that when the lever is returned to its initial position the dog wipes over the pins against the spring tensioning means thereof, and an element on the plunger in the path of the 10 closure for locking the same and adapted to be withdrawn from the path of the closure when the plunger is depressed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIOUS C. GRESHAM.

Witnesses:

H. G. HOLLOWAY, A. F. HOLLOWAY. 

